Brown releases report on efficacy of Proposition 69
Source: editor@cslea.com
Date: 6/24/2010
It's going as planned, but is it violating civil rights?
That is the question the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will begin considering on July 13 when it hears oral arguments for and against Proposition 69, passed by voters in 2004. The new law required law enforcement officials to take DNA samples from all adults arrested for felonies.
Along with the California District Attorneys Association, California Attorney General Jerry Brown will argue in favor of Proposition 69 as serving an "overwhelming interest in the pursuit of justice." Arguing against the law will be the American Civil Liberties Union.
At a June 16 press conference, Brown released detailed forensic evidence that DNA collection at arrests "is cracking old cases by providing positive identification of suspects in violent crimes such as rape, murder and robbery," according to a news release from the attorney general's office.
"Collecting DNA at the time of arrest is cracking cold cases that might have gone unsolved forever," Brown said. "It is particularly significant that individuals arrested for non-violent crimes have been linked to the commission of violent crimes such as murder and rape."
The attorney general's office cited the case of Donald Carter as a prime example. Carter was arrested in Sacramento last year on a felony drug charge, but his DNA linked him to a 20-year-old, unsolved murder. More information about Proposition 69 can be found by clicking the hyperlink to the press release above.
CSLEA represents the following Department of Justice law enforcement professionals in three affiliates:
Association of Criminalists
- Senior Criminalist
- Criminalist
- Latent Print Analyst I & II
- Questioned Document Examiner I & II
- Photo Electronics Specialist
- Senior Photo Electronics Specialists
Association of Special Agents
- Special Agent Supervisor
- Special Agent
- Air Craft Pilot
- Polygraph Examiner
- Regional Coordinator--WSIN
California Association of Law Enforcement Employees
- Criminal Intelligence Specialist I, II & III
- Criminal Identification Specialist I, II & III
- Criminal Identification and Intelligence Assistant
- Field Representative
- Security Officer I & II
| contactus@cslea.com | (800) 551-1414 | 2029 H Street • Sacramento, CA 95811 |